MarytaleAdvent Calendar Activities for Kids: 24 Printable Cards
An advent calendar doesn't have to be full of candy. We put together 24 activities, one for each day from December 1 to 24: baking cookies together, an act of kindness, riddles, a silly joke and a story before bed. Each one takes five minutes to an evening, and none of them needs a trip to the store.
All the cards are in one printable PDF: 24 cards to cut out, each with a picture your child can color. Cards with a story, riddle or coloring page have a QR code that opens the right page on your phone.
24 activities for every day in December
Day 1Cut out a paper snowflake together and stick it on the window.
Day 5Make a paper Christmas stocking and write your name on it.
Day 6Bake Christmas cookies together and decorate them with icing.
Day 8Put out some sunflower seeds for the birds (bread is bad for them!).
Bird feeder coloring page →
Day 10Call Grandma or Grandpa and sing them a song.
Day 11Make your own tree ornament from paper, a pine cone or pasta.
Day 13Cocoa night under a blanket: tell each other the best thing that happened this year.
Day 15Do something kind: help out at home before anyone asks.
Day 17Make a paper chain and hang it on the tree or across your room.
Day 18Draw a Christmas card for a friend.
Day 20Play charades: act out an animal without words while everyone guesses.
Day 21Give a toy you don't play with anymore to a child who will love it.
Day 22Evening walk with a flashlight: count the stars or the houses with Christmas lights.
Day 24Christmas Eve! Hug everyone, say something kind to each person, and leave a cookie out for Santa.
Download the cards (PDF, 4 pages)
How to make an activity advent calendar
- Print the PDF on regular letter or A4 paper, in color or black and white. The pictures on the cards are meant to be colored anyway.
- Cut out the 24 cards along the dashed lines. Older kids love doing this themselves.
- Fold each card in half and tuck it into a pouch, a matchbox or an envelope numbered with its day. You can also clip the cards to a string with clothespins.
- Every morning your child opens one card. The first page of the PDF has 24 little windows — after each activity, your child colors in that day's window.
- If an activity doesn't fit your day, swap it for another. The order doesn't matter; doing something together does.
Questions from parents
What age are the activities for?
Kids from about 3 to 9. Read the card aloud to little ones and do it together; older kids can read it themselves. The riddles and jokes are easy enough for preschoolers.
Do I need to buy anything?
No. Everything is stuff you already have at home: paper, crayons, scissors, flour for cookies. None of the activities is buying presents.
Can I print the cards for my whole class?
Yes, the file is free to use at home, in preschool and in school. We just ask that you don't sell it.
What are the QR codes for?
On cards with a story, riddle or coloring page, the QR code opens the right page on Marytale. No searching — just scan it with your phone.
Letter to Santa template — printable with envelope and coloring picture →